Related videos:
The statement from Cuban leader Miguel Díaz-Canel that “control over the situation is maintained” and that “the measures have been effective” in response to Hurricane Melissa's passage sparked a wave of criticism on social media, including direct rebukes under his official post.
Users questioned the reality of that "control" and reported unaddressed emergency situations, such as rescue requests in the early hours in El Cobre and makeshift evacuations to caves.
Díaz-Canel assured that he maintained communication “throughout the night” with leaders from the eastern part of the country, stated that they prepared “for the worst-case scenario” and emphasized the effectiveness of the response plan.
However, the comments echoed on his profile pointed out shortcomings in assistance and doubts about management, while some demanded transparency regarding donations and criticized the contrast between empty hotels and families sent to natural shelters.
Among the voices that called him out was activist Amelia Calzadilla, who accused him of “celebrating victory” without checking the condition of the streets, homes, and assets in the eastern part of the country, and urged him to ask the population if they truly feel that the measures have been effective.
Other comments, many of them using strong language, ridiculed the supposed aid —“a pound of rice”— and questioned the repeated “measures” that would not address the urgent needs of those affected.
In that same thread, several users reported that entire communities took refuge in caves due to the fragility of their homes and criticized the lack of safe housing solutions, also questioning the previous preparedness that the leader emphasized.
There were also messages that, beyond the specific episode, lamented the absence of popularity indexes or political alternatives and expressed the desire for Cuba to hold elections.
The reactions highlight the gap between the official report and citizen accounts in areas affected by Melissa: while the Government speaks of foresight and control, part of the digital audience insists that the response was inadequate and that the situation on the ground contradicts the triumphalist assessment.
The National Hurricane Center (NHC) reported at 11:00 AM this Wednesday that Melissa is located off the east coast of Cuba, now in the southwestern Atlantic, with a central pressure of 974 mb and moving northeast (35°) at 14 mph (22 km/h), and it will continue to bring heavy rain and swell to the island.
The NHC maintains a broad warning framework: hurricane warning for the Cuban provinces of Granma, Santiago de Cuba, Guantánamo, Holguín, and Las Tunas, for the southeast and central Bahamas, and for Bermuda; tropical storm warning for Haiti, Camagüey, and the Turks and Caicos.
In Cuba, hurricane conditions are expected within the area under warning—with a forecast of weakening starting this afternoon—while hurricane conditions are anticipated today in the Bahamas and tropical storm conditions in the Turks and Caicos.
The danger from rainfall remains critical. In the east of Cuba, very heavy rain will continue this morning, with totals of 10 to 20 inches and local maxima of up to 25 in mountainous areas, capable of causing catastrophic flash floods and numerous landslides; the precipitation regime is expected to decrease in the afternoon.
Filed under: